Lily Among the Thorns
by Hikari no Vikki
Summary: She goes about a normal day on Earth, shopping, chatting with friends, working, and the like. But she's not normal. Why? She's human. She may be the only one who get to do this. Ever. And that's why a certain soul is infatuated with her completely. (On Hiatus)
1. Crumble

Chapter One: Crumble

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Title: Lily Among the Thorns

Chapter: 1

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: OC x OC

Disclaimer: I do not own The Host. The great Miss Stephenie Meyer owns that. I could never be so great.

Description: She goes about a normal day on Earth, shopping, chatting with friends, working, and the like. But she's not normal. Why? She's human. She may be the only one who gets to do this. Ever. And that's why a certain soul is infatuated with her completely.

Author's Note:

Nooooo! The plot-bunnies strike again! Well, it was my own fault… I just reread The Host the other day and I got this idea while in the shower. Huh. Well, I hope the girl OC isn't too Mary Sue-ish. Please let me know if you ever see me going down that path, okies?

**NOTE: This chapter has been revised due to one reviewer's concern. (winks)**

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The woman ran, or well, drove, flooring the gas pedal. They had been so careful, and then her husband had to go and trip on the cryotanks! Well, that was behind her now; she could only hope he would go quietly like she'd asked in case they never made it to safety. At least, that way, their bodies might still be together.

"Mama?"

The girl in the backseat called. It was as if she had just woken up, but there was no time to be thinking about that. Trees and street signs rushed by as she sped down the country road.

"Your father…" The girl's eyes – still a crisp, clear chocolate brown – blearily looked at the empty passenger seat.

"No…" Now the emotion filled her eyes, threatening to spill. "Baby," the woman said softly, "if they catch us, go quietly." The girl's face changed slightly, like she was afraid. She didn't understand. What was happening?

"Go quietly and, if you can, ask that our bodies can be put in the same home. They'll listen to you, at least. Me…" the woman shook her head. "Don't worry about me."

"What do you mean, Mama?"

She was confused. Ask for their bodies to be put together? Did she mean the souls? But she didn't want to go! She hugged herself as she watched the trees fly by, moonlight still lingering in their leaves like water droplets after the morning dew comes in.

"You don't have to… whoa!"

"Mom!"

The car jolted, hitting a crack in the pavement. Her mother scrambled for control, but there was no stopping it. The girl had tried to reach out for her mother, her hand in mid air, but then she had the sensation of tumbling, and saw the world spin in brown, black, and white. The car was rolling. Instantly she forced herself to go limp, and she was tossed like a rag doll in her seatbelt, hoping she'd live through the assault.

Back and forth, up and down (three times each way, she could recall, so she estimated about six to nine flips) she forced herself to stay limp, remembering that somewhere she'd heard staying limp helped people survive. She had no idea how her mother was.

Suddenly, it stopped.

The car was upright, and she was thankful for this. Still in shock, she saw her mother – unconscious and bleeding from her head, tainting the car's beautiful gray-white seats.

Shaking, she checked herself, first her arms and chest, then her legs, back and head, and she was surprised to find she was intact. But the danger wasn't over yet. The car sat on the very edge of a riverbank, and her hazed brain couldn't be sure if it was a complete downgrade or a sharp end. And the car was still in drive. What had her father told her to do again?

Suddenly she remembered, and even though she was sore, probably bruised everywhere, she moved quickly enough to worm her way up to the automatic's gear shift.

It took her a minute to grasp it (and precious few more seconds to figure out how it worked) and shift the car into park. It made a horrible screeching sound – one that would surely alert the souls to their presence – but this was because she couldn't reach the brakes, and the car stopped nonetheless.

She sat back, breathing heavily. It was only a matter of time before they were found. She hoped it was quick. She wanted her mother to live. She had nothing, save for her own clothes and her blanket, to stop the bleeding, and she hadn't enough medical knowledge to know if she should or not. It could just be drainage. So she stayed where she was, taking stock of her thoughts.

She thought of her mother, and her father, going through her memories like it was the last time _she_ ever would.

She didn't understand all this business with the souls, why they did what they did. She'd heard that some people could stay, but they were older, usually. The younger ones like her didn't have a chance.

Could she beg hard enough for them to let her stay human? She wanted to stay. But she was afraid to even ask.

And she didn't think she'd have enough strength to resist one of _them_.

She played with her hair, still clean and flower scented, which was very dark in this light, but a very pretty blond/brunette mix in the sun. It was only a few inches past shoulder length, and only slightly wavy. She shivered, the cold of the outside finally seeping in. Tears that had originally been for her father grieved for her mother, and her fears. She didn't want to go!

And that was when the sound of light tapping brought her from her thoughts.

She looked, and there was a soul, genuinely concerned, asking if she was all right. And probably asking her to open the door. She held up a shaky finger, and unlocked her mother's door. She came out of her own, clutching a bright blue blanket (her baby blanket, she never went on any trip without it except when she used to go to school) and into the soul's arms.

"Please," she whispered, "save Mama." The soul, a most particularly kind one, nodded. "I will." And that was that. He handed her off as she choked out, "I unlocked her door for you," and was taken to another car. A woman sat inside, a redhead, with blue eyes, but the telltale reflection of a soul within.

"Why am I here?" she asked the woman. "I want my Mama." The girl curled inward, clutching her blanket to her chest, but still sitting upright. She knew enough about the souls to know what would come next, and whether she ever saw her mother again was up to her mother. She would have no chance against a soul, weak as she was.

The woman's face softened with pity and sorrow, as she watched her in the rearview mirror.

"You're being taken to the hospital to be examined. We don't know if you have any internal injuries, and we need to make sure you're fit as a host. How old are you?" The girl sobbed quietly. She didn't want to be a host, but she complied and answered the woman's question.

"I'm nine…" she stammered. The woman's eyes softened even more; something the girl couldn't imagine being possible. Her head jerked a little, her voice scrambling for the right words. "My Papa and Mama, they agreed to go quietly. They won't resist. Mama said to ask you if you could…erm…" – once more she struggled for words – "…put…pair them together?" She sighed and shook her head, clutching her blanket and sobbing into the fabric.

The soul sighed. This human child, this little child, she was purer than most. Perhaps, if her parents were as willing as the girl said, they could be paired together and care for the child.

Finally, the Seeker made her decision.

"I will see what I can do, child, but…" The girl nodded. "You can't make any promises, I know. If you can't… I'll face my fears and… let you… you know." The girl shuddered again and curled in on herself, the shock of everything happening so fast coursing through her.

As soon as the Seeker saw the girl's mother loaded into the ambulance and move off onto the road back, she began to follow, listening to nothing but the silence and the girl's soft, restrained sobs.

They arrived at the hospital an hour later, the pale little girl still quietly mourning, but not sobbing like before. She had to see a healer, or someone who she could talk to about her… meanwhile, she kept the girl close. "Stay close to me," she whispered, "I need to find someone to talk to about you." She had no clue where to go. The Seeker gasped when she saw a Healer, specifically the one who'd taken the girl from the mother's car.

"Nova!" he quietly exclaimed, "You should've taken her to be…" Nova held up her hand to her partner. "Bright Fire, please. I was taking her to you."

"But you can't. I have things to do. The mother's due for insertion any moment now."

"Look at her, Bright Fire, she's in no fit state in my hands."

"But if she's not suitable, we have to–" " –Bright Fire, please. We shouldn't be wasteful. And why would you consider them good hosts anyway?"

Bright Fire shrugged. "Wasn't my decision. A pair of souls from the Dolphin planet wanted adult hosts that were partners as humans. This may be the only chance we have other than to go against their wishes and place them in children."

The Seeker shook her head, scoffing. "And what does your friend say about the girl? I brought her to you for that reason. Now if you would excuse me, I need to retrieve their files for when or _if_ they awaken."

With that, Nova left and the girl was left standing shivering in front of Bright Fire.

Bright Fire looked at the girl, whose eyes looked up at his. They were so desperate, so afraid. "I don't want to…to fade away," she whispered, as if in her defense. Something struck in Bright Fire's heart. She was too pure for someone her age.

"I see…" he was too tall to kneel by the girl, so he took her shoulders and looked into her pretty chocolate eyes.

_Why does she want to stay? _His host soul asked. _Why should I ask, Robert? It's my duty to take her to find a soul for her. _Bright Fire had the feeling Robert would be shaking his head if he could. Robert was his host soul who had somehow remained during his insertion but didn't mind as long as they did things that Robert wanted to do every once in awhile.

_It's time to pay up. You haven't done anything for me in awhile, you know. _And that was true, he hadn't. _But- _

_Don't argue. _Bright Fire kneeled down by the girl, still weighing his options. "Why do you want to stay?" he asked her gingerly. "Too…afraid."

"Of what?" The girl looked positively terrified.

"What's after…what happens. Where do _I_ go?"

"We call it the final death, but for you, I don't know." He shook his head.

_Incentive enough for you? _Bright Fire resisted the scowl that was sure to come to his face. What he was feeling now was far too much unlike the soul he was. _My duty… _He could feel Robert's irritation spike, border lining on anger. _I know what you want. _The anger lowered slightly, and a soothing feeling swirled through him.

_You want to know why I want to save her instead of any one of the other children that will get souls. Right? _

_Right._

_To be honest, I don't know. Part of it could be that she reminds me of my sister, but the other part… _

_You don't completely know. You just want to try._

_Yes. Try to save her, I suppose. You owe me, Fire. Just this once. _

Bright Fire sighed, physically this time. _Fine. But if this experiment comes back in our face, we're going to get it. _The image of being thrown into a jail cell came to his mind through Robert's. _Well, not like that, but they'll remove me and discard you. _Silence. _And where will you go? _

_To a child host that won't resist like you. Sure, we can live in harmony for the moment, but that can only last so long. It's nice that you worry, Robert, but maybe this will teach the other souls that perhaps we can live in harmony not as __one__ but as __two__, if you get me. _

Robert stopped speaking then. Bright Fire noticed the girl's expression. Calculating as only a nine-year-old could. She was thinking, hard. Many minutes passed before she spoke.

"I want…I want to stay because there's so much I want to experience. I've always wanted to live in a world of peace like yours. If I go now, my… heart, spirit… I… I won't be complete. I've never loved anyone, and I want to. I've never had a child, but I dream of it, sometimes. I want… to… I want to live."

Bright Fire had never heard such an honest answer from a human. And then she kept speaking!

"I'll be good, I promise! You don't tell lies, right? I won't either! I don't like telling lies! They hurt!" She was breathless now, and some of the hospital workers were watching. She put a hand to her chest. "And now…now this hurts." Her feet buckled, and there were some gasps, but Bright Fire caught her. She was still awake, still very afraid. "I don't…don't want to go."

Bright Fire looked around, searching for an answer.

"Well, just between you and me, I'll let you. I shouldn't, but… I feel like I need to." _Liar. _Bright Fire mentally scoffed. _She won't notice. She's nine. _"You are nine, right?

She chuckled softly. "Yes, why?" Bright Fire smiled softly. "Just making sure. You're awfully small." Another light chuckle. "I'm just small. Really, I am nine." She bit her lip a bit. "But only just." Still just a child in many ways. He shook his head.

"I really hope I can make this work. You…deserve it." He gently helped her into his arms, carrying her

She smiled up at him. It was a wistful, half-asleep smile. "I hope Papa remembered to go quietly. It would break Mama's heart if he were gone…even if she's not really Mama inside." Bright Fire had seen the end of the man's transfer. "He did, I promise." She nodded.

Finally they were at the observation window to her mother's room. He set the girl down gently as she placed her hands on the glass, one still clutching the blanket.

Bright Fire watched her as if she were a baby looking at their parents from the nursery. So innocent. He couldn't believe she was this way, and still a human.

Then someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned. He gasped. It was the hospital's head. "I've heard the whispers of my staff, and some stories. What are you planning?"

_Uh oh._

Bright wrung his hands. "Well, sir I…" When it became apparent Bright Fire couldn't reply, the man shook his head and looked past Bright Fire at the girl. "I want to see her for myself. Then I will decide."

Bright Fire feared for the girl for a moment, as was in his soul nature, but then he remembered that Maurice (as he insisted he be called) was a soul like him. He would see her 'soul' as it were. So he hoped.

They talked for a few moments, quietly, so quietly Bright Fire couldn't hear. Nova came up to him at that moment. "What have you done, Fire?" He sighed. "It was Robert's idea. An experiment." She waved a finger at him. "You should have gotten him that ice cream this morning, love, or you wouldn't be in this situation." She sighed and ran her fingers through his black hair, massaging the nervousness away.

"But it would've ruined my meals for the day. The man was just-" "Hush. Relax." It wasn't until Maurice turned with a soft smile that his worry disappeared.

"Bright Fire," Maurice said softly, "you know this is a once in a lifetime case. This will be allowed this once, but may never happen again." "At least not in these lifetimes," he said, "there could be others. She can't be the only one." Maurice looked back at the girl, his expression unreadable.

"Perhaps," he said at last, "but not in our lifetimes, like you said. You may allow her to see them, I suppose." He rubbed the side of his face, sighing. "I wonder how I'm going to explain this to my supervisor…"

Bright Fire shook his head, faking a smirk. "I'm sure you'll find a way."

Maurice shrugged, walking away with an 'I hope so' expression on his face.

Bright Fire took her into the room after a few moments, his wife coming in and sitting in the 'Seeker chair' in the corner where Seekers usually sat, waiting for their 'cases' to wake up. It was obvious this little family had been traveling nomadically, so no information about other humans would come from these hosts.

And then Bright Fire realized he didn't know the girl's name.

"What's your name, child?" he asked her as she sat on one of the spare chairs, holding her mother's right hand in both of hers. She looked up sharply, as if she'd only just now heard what he'd said. "I…its Liliana. My friends…they used to call me Lily."

How fitting, he thought, a lily among thorns. Or perhaps it was the other way around?

The blanket lay in her lap, circled around her back, for comfort. After a few moments, the eyes began to flutter. Nova had been informed of the soul who was now inside, and was calling her name softly. "Graceful Dancing Swimmer, are you there?"

The eyes opened, the soul inside reflecting in the green orbs.

"Yes…" she whispered, sitting up with Lily's help. "I didn't expect it to be so quick." Nova nodded. "Neither did I. You were only just inserted a few moments ago. Not even an hour. Perhaps it's because you had such a willing host…" The soul, still Lily's mother, looked over to the Seeker.

"She… my host… she left me a message. She said to look after Lily." Lily gently touched her hand. "That's me." Graceful Dancing Swimmer (a Dolphin name, Bright Fire recognized) didn't gasp when she saw her daughter's eyes, but the surprise was there on her face.

Lily stared into the woman's eyes. The soul inside knew her mother's feelings, her mother/daughter bond, but it wasn't her mother inside. Her mother was gone. "I know you aren't Mama anymore, ma'am, but you still…look like Mama. I don't understand any of this, but I do know that I want to stay. Please don't be angry." Sparkling tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, glad and sad at the same time.

Graceful Dancing Swimmer looked into Lily's eyes and then the mother-daughter bond was renewed. Bright Fire didn't need to hear the words that were sure to come to know she wasn't afraid.

"It's okay. I'm not angry. I'm still your…mother." Lily looked down. "In body. Mama's gone." The soul put a hand to her cheek, rubbing the tears away with her thumb. "Yes, but I could stand in for her like an" –here she pause to think- "an adoptive mom."

Lily thought on that for a moment. That could work. It might take some getting used to, but… she'd still be whole.

"That…wouldn't be so bad, I think." The soul smiled. "Then I'll go by Grace, instead of Rosaline. You don't mind?" Lily shook her head. "No. It doesn't matter." She was still distant, trying to take things in little by little. She turned to Bright Fire, a questioning look in her eyes. "Is my… is he awake yet?"

_Who? _Robert asked. _Her father. Or the man that used to be. Hush and let me answer._

"He was given a heavy sedative. He might be, he might not. Do want to go look?" She shook her head. "I'm tired. I want to stay with…Grace." Bright Fire was amazed at how much the girl was willing to accept to stay human. Perhaps someday humans could sort of co-exist with the souls… but that was probably a long way away from this particular lifetime. Maybe he'd stay here and find out.

"Okay. There's a foldout bed in the wall behind me. I have other patients to see. If you need anything just call a nurse." She nodded.

And so he left.

Nova stayed.

"You aren't going?" Lily asked Nova. Nova shook her head. "Not yet. The other Healers will come find me when your father's soul is ready to wake. It's custom that the Seeker is there, but when there's multiple cases on a Seeker, they usually go find them first."

Lily nodded.

"Would you like me to help with the bed? You mother needs to rest a little more." "Sure," Lily muttered sleepily.

Nova helped her pull the bed down from the wall and set the blankets and pillows on it. Lily climbed up in it, and covered herself with her blanket. "Thanks, Nova. Really."

Nova smiled.

She turned to go sit back in her chair, but before she sat down Lily called out to her. "Will I get to talk to you again?" she asked. "Yes," Nova said softly, "I do think you will."

She didn't want to mention the fact that she'd probably be watching her for a long while to make sure she was telling the truth, so she just smiled and whispered a quick, "Good night."

"Good night," whispered Lily back, snuggling under the covers, safe, warm, and happy she was alive.

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If there's anything you think is too Mary Sue about her, let me know. Anyway, it'll skip around the first few chapters, so I can get to the part where she meets the soul that falls in love with her. And yes, there will probably be smut. Soul-smut, but smut. If you love me enough you'll get a sequel! (If I go that far…lol)

**NOTE: Changed the age, obviously. After the second chapter I will skip around and you will see more of Bright Fire in the future. Date changed- 3/20/09 If there's anything else that seems too out of place, let me know.**


	2. Rebuild

Chapter Two: Rebuild

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Title: Lily Among the Thorns

Chapter: 2

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: OC x OC

Disclaimer: I do not own The Host. The great Miss Stephenie Meyer owns that. I could never be so great.

Description: She goes about a normal day on Earth, shopping, chatting with friends, working, and the like. But she's not normal. Why? She's human. She may be the only one who gets to do this. Ever. And that's why a certain soul is infatuated with her completely.

Author's Note:

So maybe we don't need an exact town. If we need one, I'll look it up later, I guess. Maybe I'll decide halfway through the story. Somewhere in South Dakota. I like forests. Perhaps Pennington County. If you're wondering why I like it so much, go look it up.

So anyways… Bright Fire and Nova will have bigger roles, perhaps as comfort figures for Lily or something. I dunno. Anyone guess where Bright Fire came from? (lol) Well, on with it, I guess.

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Lily was woken at approximately nine that next morning, sun spilling across the floor.

"But I don't want to," she muttered sleepily into her pillow, "'s not time for school yet…" There was a laugh. "No, but we'll get you enrolled again after we get you caught up with home school." Lily's subconscious mind heard the voice, but didn't want to respond. The darkness was too comforting.

But then her eyes bolted open in an instant once she remembered.

"Ah!"

She sat up quickly, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She looked around, trying to spot who had woken her, finally finding her mother. _Not Mom anymore, _she reminded herself. _Grace._ "Morning, baby girl." The words seemed so natural to Grace, Lily felt. Perhaps it was just her mother's memories seeping into Grace's essence.

"Is Da… is he awake yet?" Lily asked, picking off eye goo from her eyelashes.

Grace looked stunned for a moment, but remembered who she was referring to. She looked back at the chair Nova had been sitting in when she'd fallen asleep. "Well, Nova's not here now, so he might be. I wonder whom he was given. I hope it was Thunder Flyer." Lily tilted her head. "Who?"

Grace turned back to Lily. "Thunder Flyer. He was my partner on the Dolphin world. I'd asked for him to be paired with me." Lily saw the adoration in Grace's eyes. They made them sparkle and shine like Rosaline's did when she'd spoken about Dad.

"Why did they call him that?" "Thunder Flyer?" "Yeah."

"Well," said Grace, putting a finger to her slender, pale, young-looking face, "when we surfaced out of the water during a race, we fly for a few moments. He always flew the longest." Another look of adoration. "And he splashed the loudest. Hence the thunder." Lily nodded. "There are other planets?" Again, Grace nodded. "Many others, it's just only some are able to be colonized. I've been to four; Thunder Flyer was on five. This one would be my fifth."

She looked proud. "Is it tiresome sometimes? Switching planets like that?" Grace thought for a moment. "I started to think so after a while. I think that Flyer, if they went through with my request, that Flyer and I will stay here and have our final death here."

Lily was perplexed. "Final death? Bright Fire mentioned that."

"Last night?" "Yes. When I was convincing him to let me stay human." "Mmm. Well, I don't think I need to explain what it is." Lily shook her head, smirking. "No, I don't think so. It is sort of self-explanatory."

It was at that moment that a familiar face appeared in the doorway.

"Nova!" Lily gasped quietly. It was a face she recognized, and she was glad for it. She clung to things like familiarity.

"Hello, Lily. Grace." She nodded to both of them. "Good to see you're up." Nova gaze a moment or so at Grace's hair, which was an exact copy of her daughter's, and it was truly beautiful in the sun. "Such pretty hair. I hope you'll come over once your settled so I can do things with it, unless your host objects to being pampered."

Lily felt a little awkward hearing them speak about her mother like that. It was just something she'd had to get used to, though. Her mother didn't really exist anymore.

Grace shook her head, chuckling. "No, no, it's fine. I don't object to it at all. I would love that. My host always had wanted to learn." She smiled a little more. "Now what were you here for? I'm sorry if I got you off topic." Nova gasped as she remembered. "Oh! Yes… your husband should be waking soon." "Did they give him Thunder Flyer like I'd asked?" Nova's eyebrows furrowed as she thought, then rose sharply as she recalled the information. "Yes, I believe so. He wants to be called Thomas, though if you don't mind."

Grace shook her head. "I don't. Anything for Thomas," she said, the name rolling off her tongue casually, as if she'd been saying it all her life.

Then a thought occurred to Lily.

"Why are you called Nova? Was that your host's name or from another planet? Or am I overstepping any sort of bounds there?" Nova was surprised for a moment, and then laughed at her fear for discomforting her.

"No, no, not at all. I chose it myself, actually. My name from my previous planet didn't suit me anymore, and neither did any of my other names, so I made one up. Bright Fire likes it." She smiled. "And you don't have to fear upsetting me. My host was a very upbeat person. Makes me wonder why I even chose to be a Seeker." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm protecting my kind and providing them with hosts. It's not so bad, I think.

"But anyway, come on, I'll take you to see your father."

Lily finally climbed down from her bed, groaning in pain. Nova was immediately at her side, checking her. "Oh… all these bruises… we'll have to get you checked over later. Get some Heal from a nurse; too, to recover the damaged tissue…" she shook her head. "But, I digress. Come on."

In that moment, Lily felt a rush of gratefulness overcome her.

They arrived at the room which looked much like the room they had stayed in. Bright Fire was with a nurse inside, "Why don't they have bathrooms, now?" Lily asked, curious. "My, my, so many questions! Oh, now don't be embarrassed, I'm only commenting on your curiosity. So vibrant. If only you were a soul…" she smiled. "But the answer to your question is that because we heal so quickly with our medicines, most people don't need more than a night's stay even if they were seriously injured. There are a few rooms, but those are for rare cases."

"Rare?" "Diseases that can't be cured, sometimes, and on occasion, a traumatized host." Lily frowned. "That's one whose host refused to go down without a fight, right?" Nova nodded. "And lost. Sad cases, they are. Some have found they can coexist with their hosts, like Bright Fire, so we souls are skeptical about what to do with the humans that are left. Perhaps someday we could co-exist with your people."

Lily hummed in agreement, but paused to think about something Nova said.

"Bright Fire's host is still with him?" Nova looked back. "Yes. Their relationship is somewhat strange, but I've learned to live with it." Lily blinked, wondering if she should ask exactly how Nova lived with it.

The man inside the room began to stir, so Bright Fire motioned for them to enter.

They did, and Grace immediately went to his side, her hands flying to his right hand like a magnet. Nova gently tapped the nurse, who turned to her. "Yes?" "The girl needs healing. She wasn't examined last night, in all that happened. I think a Heal should do it, or perhaps an Aroma." Then nurse nodded. "I can do that. And, I can imagine that happening. The poor thing. She'll probably have to be watched for a while."

Nova shrugged. "She's willing to do anything to stay as she is."

The nurse smiled and took Lily to the side, administering medicine to heal the bruises.

On the side, the man's eyes began to flutter, coming out of sleep at last.

"What time is it?" he muttered. "Just after nine," Grace answered softly. "Good morning, Thomas." Thomas looked up, awake now. He'd woken in the night, after Grace had fallen asleep, so they let him sleep a little more.

"Graceful Dancing Swimmer?" "Please, call me Grace." Thomas smiled, and they shared a quick kiss. "Can you believe it? This couple was already married… and they had a girl." "Yes, I know. Lily?" She nodded. "But…" he frowned. "Is something wrong?" Grace shook her head. "Not exactly. She was still conscious after the crash–" "–the car crashed?" She playfully flicked his forehead. "She's alive, but she insisted on staying."

"She's…" "Still human."

They both turned. She stood at the edge of the bed, her dainty hands resting on the metal bar. She walked along the left side of the bed (from his point of view) and stopped when she was by his side. She knelt, looking up at him, staring at his features. She had always had her bond with her mother, but her bond with her father had run even deeper. Thomas seemed a little different from a soul, but not like her father, either, even though he still was.

He was worried about her the only way a father could be, but because he was a soul, violence was not really part of the equation.

"I know you're not Dad anymore," she said quietly, "but Grace asked if I could accept her as an adoptive mom of sorts. Perhaps" –here she trailed off, reaching for his face- "that could work for…us?" She stopped an inch or so from his face, hesitating. He was a soul in her father's body, feeling her father's feelings, but would he accept her offer? Thomas's heart thudded in his chest, the new feelings of his host body assailing him at all angles. And the way he called to him was so soft and gentle; he could almost believe she was a soul. Maybe she was what the humans called a 'kind soul'. A kind human.

So he brought her hand the rest of the way, and her smile of relief filled him with a strange feeling – elation, perhaps. Or simply joy, he wasn't sure which.

"It's okay, short stuff," he said softly. Another smile, this one accompanied by a chuckle. She brought her hand down, looking over his features. There were the brown eyes he'd given her, his jet-black hair, sharp, chiseled face. Her father. Papa. _But not really Papa. Another soul. Thomas. _

"I guess we should go see where we're living, huh? Don't you need school, baby girl?" "Home school," she muttered, scoffing, "just to get me caught up. And relearn a few things. I don't know what you've changed about it."

Nova, who they'd all forgotten was there, spoke up. "You have a lot to learn, I think, but you'll do well." She gave a brief start, then blushed, hiding her face in her hair. "Sensitive to praise?" Lily nodded. "Yes. Always have been. Would've been a hassle for the poor soul I might've gotten to keep up with all the emotions I can experience at once."

Nova laughed. "Yes, these human bodies do tend to experience so much at once. It's enough to overwhelm some of the more experienced souls sometimes I must say."

The quartet entered the lobby, where a nurse was waiting for them.

"Greetings," she said politely, "I believe you are in need of new lodgings, yes?" Thomas and Grace nodded softly, while Lily studied the face of the soul. It was kind like Bright Fire's, the almost kinder than kind expression she'd seen Nova experience the night before. She wondered if that was just them or humans had that potential as well. But she hadn't the time or any credentials to study such a thing. Perhaps it might be considered inhumane. Or did they still use that word?

Mentally she grabbed at her hair in frustration.

"Well, we do have a nice cabin that's not too far out of the main city, but not in any of the suburbs. Your personality tests suggested you would like a place secluded but still close to home as it were." The nurse flashed a coy smile. They could use humor, too?

Man, she did have a lot to learn.

"Yes," said Grace, "I think that will do just fine." She looked toward Thomas. "Thomas? What about you?" Thomas smiled. "Sounds perfect. I do believe we'll need transportation as well. Something small for each of us, perhaps? But not the same model, no. Something different." He sighed, exasperated at coming up short in the word department.

The nurse nodded. "I understand. I believe you'll find what you're looking for in the hospital's parking garage, if you'll go this way."

Another nurse led them to the lot, where several cars were available for them. A few other 'new' souls were searching for cars as well. "So this is what you do to the new souls?" Lily asked. The new nurse nodded. "Yes. Well, the adult ones. Some like to start out that way, like your…" here the nurse hesitated, "… parents. For others, there may not be another option." She seemed a little _off _standing next to Lily, who noticed this. She wanted to sigh. She should've known this wasn't going to be easy.

"I understand," Lily said, trying to keep her tone light and casual. She'd go with Thomas and talk to him once she was inside the car.

Thomas, sensing Lily's distress, looked around quickly for a car he liked. The blue Honda Civic in front of him was practically screaming 'take me!'

So he did.

"Think I'll take that one." "The Civic?" "Mmhm. Might not be a family car, but Grace'll take care of that, won't you Grace?" Grace giggled. "You shouldn't assume, baby. But I'll do so for your sake. That maroon Mitsubishi looks very much the family car." Another laugh. Lily's spirits seemed to ease at the sight of Thomas and Grace behaving so much like her parents had before. It reminded her of better times when they hadn't fought quite so much.

The nurse handed them their keys and gave them the address for their home.

"Up-to-date GPS modems have been installed in all cars so you should get there safely." And then she left without giving them so much as another look. Lily's spirits began to decline again. If she couldn't be strong inside the hospital with her parents by her side, how was she to face to real world or other 'kids' her age? They wouldn't do anything human children would do, but they'd still behave… strangely around her.

Thomas watched Lily think. While he was still getting used to the various emotions that could change in the blink of an eye, he could tell she was hurting, and probably wondering if she made the right choice.

"Grace? Why don't you go on and I'll follow you with Lily?" Grace took a quick look at Lily and understood why he'd asked her. "Sure, I don't mind." She gave a simple shrug and got into her car. Lily looked on. "Why did you ask her that?" Not wanting to lie, Thomas told her.

"You look a little down. I wanted to talk to you. Come on, get in the car and we'll talk on the way home. Got your blanket?" She nodded, holding up the folded article that Nova had given her at the last minute.

Then she got in the car.

As soon as they were up and out in the sunlight, headed for the main road through town (as it wasn't quite a city, the highway was there, but farther north and they were headed east) Thomas adjusted the airflow and started up the conversation.

"You're having second thoughts aren't you?" Realizing he'd guessed, she bit her lip and didn't say anything for a few moments. But then she remembered that she'd always tell the truth like they did, so she forced a small, embarrassed, "Yeah," past her lips. Thomas smoothed her hair with his right hand and folded her bangs back behind her ears, smiling a little when they didn't stay where he'd put them. "It's okay to have second thoughts, baby. Volunteering to be a soul's host takes courage.

"You just don't have that kind of courage yet."

Lily fiddled with her hands, looking down at her lap. "But I said I'd swallow my fear if I couldn't stay. I feel like… like that was a lie now."

Thomas's eyes flickered to the GPS and then turned right onto a road just outside the town limits. "Like you were just telling a lie to stay human, you mean?" She nodded. "Yeah. I feel bad." Thomas kept his eyes on the road but his lips turned up into a ghost of a smile.

"You're a special one, Lily. You were in shock last night, you'd just been in a car crash where you acted remarkably calm – from what I heard – and anyone would be afraid. Don't feel guilty if you feel you couldn't do something that you don't have to do. Whatever your fears are, Grace and I can help. This is new to us, too."

Lily looked up at last, staring at him. How could he see into her like that?

They kept eye contact for a few moments before the GPS said, "Left turn here. You have arrived at your destination." And then the spell was broken.

It took Lily a few moments to get out of the car once it stopped, and she was still dwelling on what he'd said. Perhaps he was right. She had been allowed to stay human, and so she didn't need to fear anything there. The awkwardness of being the only human in the souls' world would fade, and with her parents' help, the guilt and fear of rejection would also.

"So baby girl," Grace's voice said, breaking into her thoughts, "what do you think of the house?"

She blinked. House? Oh yeah, they were home. Home?

It was then that she actually looked up and at the house for the first time.

It was two stories, with an attic most likely, and possibly a basement, with a triangular peak on the left side, and a large glass window, which was divided into several different panes. The finishing touch was the wooden finish.

"Is it real wood?" she asked, amazed.

"No, just the outside. It's crafted to look like real wood, without the added bonus of termites in the summer." Thomas grinned at her.

"It's beautiful," she said, putting a hand to her heart.

"And I'm betting it's even more beautiful on the inside. They had a decorator put in some furniture, but the rest is for our customization."

Lily listened to Grace ramble, already excited. Thomas was right. She shouldn't be guilty. After all, hadn't she said she wanted to experience life while still human? She wanted to keep her promises that she'd said last night to Bright Fire, whether she'd said them while in shock or not. She was the type that if she out her mind to it, she was going to do it.

And she would.

"Did we forget the house key, darling? Cause I don't have it…" "What? You don't?" "You don't either?" "I'm kidding! I have it!" Thomas laughed. "Don't scare me like that."

Lily smiled inwardly. Perhaps rebuilding her life wouldn't be as hard as she thought.

* * *

So I tried to correct the bit where she was shifting between little kid and adult. I can write a little kid's part and I can write an adult, but the in between part… yeah, not so much.

So I docked it under 'posttraumatic stress' and left it at that.

Not really much happened here, though. A little character development here, crushing spirits there (Yami Vikki: Uh, not my fault..), well, yeah. Reviewers get cyber cookies and a drawing of the house on deviantART.

**NOTE: Changed a few things here and there. I'm getting the feeling that it still seems a little rough? Oh, and the drawing might have to wait. I have testing coming up next month. Ugh. Date changed- 3/21/09**


	3. Relearn

Chapter Three: Relearn

* * *

Title: Lily Among the Thorns

Chapter: 3

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: OC x OC

Disclaimer: I do not own The Host. The great Miss Stephenie Meyer owns that. I could never be so great.

Description: She goes about a normal day on Earth, shopping, chatting with friends, working, and the like. But she's not normal. Why? She's human. She may be the only one who gets to do this. Ever. And that's why a certain soul is infatuated with her completely.

Author's Note:

So I'm beginning to fix her switching problem. How many chapters should I have before I switch to the adult version? I need a couple for good character development, but not too many that it seems like it will take forever. Now I'm sure you wouldn't mind that, but I'd like to be almost finished with this by the end of the school year so I can go back to my other stuff. Not that this venture isn't fun, but my other fics call to me.

* * *

It hadn't taken Lily very long to find the room she wanted in the house, to pick out decorations and such, but what to do with her time?

Relearn schoolwork that she had missed and was missing.

Her day was almost like a normal school day, if you ignored the flat screen TV in the living room where her lessons were given and that it seemed more like home school than anything.

She learned quickly, or rather, relearned. Many things weren't as different as they had been before like math or reading. There wasn't any more science (because with such perfect medicines, why was there any need?) but you had the option of a simple you-learn-it-or-you don't physics class that led to other things eventually.

And obviously history was very important, both the history of souls and of the humans.

"School's different from the way it was before. Why? Why are there no more big tests for things like Math or History?" she'd asked Nova one day when she swung by for a quick lesson. (Usually Grace or Thomas or every other Tuesday and Thursday it was Bright Fire who taught her, but Nova liked to do it occasionally. She was curious to see how Bright Fire's experiment would work out.)

"Well," Nova began, stroking her chin, "I don't know everything, but we souls believe in letting souls pursue a career in the field that fits them best." Lily's mouth twisted into a gentle scowl. "That sounds more like you're forcing them." Nova shook her head. "No dear, we don't force them. We just prefer that they choose that particular field because it's probably where their Calling lies." Now Lily was interested. "Calling?" Nova nodded. "Yes. My calling was to be a Seeker, but I could've been a Healer like Bright Fire, or a teacher or anything else that I wanted to be… but being a Seeker makes me feel complete. It doesn't feel like it's just a job. Do you understand now?"

Lily nodded again. There wasn't much else she could do. But she still had so many more questions!

"But what about for the younger ones like me that aren't babies that could just slide into that calling? How do you teach them?" Nova thought for a moment, then remembered. "Aptitude tests. But they're not like the tests you remember. The work you're doing now is what shows what you'll be good at along with a few other sub fields you might want to consider if ever you want to change careers."

"Oh," Lily murmured, taking it all in, "I get it now. So when do you let me know what fields I might be good at?"

Nova laughed.

"Well, at the rate you're going, it won't be long. Give it about another month or so. And get out more. We're souls! We're social! Don't be afraid because you're still human. Just tell anyone who asks the truth; you're an experiment."

It was true that Lily hadn't actually set foot outside their little patch of land the whole two months they'd been there, but she hadn't minded in the slightest. She preferred to stay in her room reading or writing story after story. She did come down to eat and such, in fact she enjoyed watching movies with Grace and Thomas or playing games with them, but other than helping Grace with the garden she was working on, she hadn't left.

And though she wouldn't admit it out loud, part of the reason why was because she was afraid. Not that they'd hurt her, really, but that they'd take her away and put a soul inside, erasing Lily forever, unless she was strong enough to stay.

And so here she stood at the back door of the maroon Mitsubishi waiting for the door to unlock, her stomach doing somersaults inside.

_Why do I have to go? It's just a trip to the store…. Well, I need the shoes…_

Her thoughts wouldn't stop, unless she kept her eyes busy with looking around and round until a sharp click brought her back to reality. She opened the door and got inside, flashing a tentative smile at Thomas, who had turned back to look at her to make sure she was okay.

It had taken a little coaxing to get her to come, but he had to help her get used to being a human in the souls' world. School would start in four months and that did seem like a lot of time but in reality that time would fly by.

And Thomas's fatherly side didn't want to thrust her into a strange world she wasn't prepared for.

The trees sped by as they drove and Lily watched them one by one (as best she could) to keep her mind off her worry. But as the time passed Lily realized that the knotted feeling in her middle did too and she felt a rush of courage. She could do this. And if she could do this just once, she could do it again.

Maybe.

And then the feeling started to creep back and she resisted a scowl.

So maybe it wouldn't be _that _easy.

And just like that, they were there. Lily got out of the car starting at the _Buy-Mart_ like she'd never seen a place like it in her life. "Come on Lily! Don't dawdle!" Grace called when Lily hadn't moved.

Lily scrambled after her, reaching for her hand on impulse, forgetting it was Grace and not her mother.

After a couple of steps she realized what she'd done, and Grace had as well. But Grace gave her hand a gentle squeeze, ever the motherly figure, to assure her everything was and would be fine. So she kept holding Grace's hand, grateful for it being there.

**(A/N: Am I going to slow? I probably am. Who cares, let me go at my own pace. We'll get there when I'm good and ready, all right?)**

When they entered the store, Lily instinctively grasped it tighter, and walked a little closer, keeping her head down. Her cheeks were flushing with heat (and most likely with color) and she was vainly attempting to hide her face with her hair.

_What am I going so say if someone notices? They'll be… scared. _

The thought circle had started up again. She shook herself when Grace let go to claim a nearby shopping cart and told herself to get a grip. What was she going to do when she started school again? Hide in corner?

Well, that was what she'd done before, anyway, because of all the bigger kids that either bullied her or thought she read too much.

But everyone would be nice now, because they had souls.

What was there to fear?

They were in the shoe area when Grace called for one of the store helpers to help with her new shoe size. She stilled. No! She'd notice!

The woman who came over was brunette with hair cut short into a gentle flip at her shoulders and tawny brown eyes with the silver circlet around the iris. "Come now, don't be shy. It won't hurt." Lily looked down, trembling slightly, but complied.

"N-Never done it like this before," she whispered, trying to make conversation. "I usually just know which one I need." She had never had her foot measured like the way the woman was doing now, and she rarely ever forgot her foot size (it was always on the inside of her shoe but today she was wearing sandals, and the size marking had worn off) but that wasn't why she stuttered.

Well, I've got two sentences through. Only so many more billion to go…

At least the words had passed her lips, and didn't catch like they always did when she was nervous.

"Well you're a size five Miss…" The soul looked up and met her eyes. When she saw them, they both froze. "Lily," Lily strained to force out, waiting for something, anything. "Just Lily."

And the eyes of the soul softened. "Just Lily? Well, Just Lily, go on and pick the one you want. Make it a good one!" She gave a small smile. "It's Lily!" Lily cried, stamping her shoeless foot playfully, giggling. The soul had accepted her! She turned around and picked a set of running shoes, clean and white, with arch support. Her happiness was short lived, because as they were walking out with the shoes in hand (and some much needed groceries in a cart Thomas was pushing), Lily began to wonder why the soul hadn't done or said anything.

The question that was just behind her lips couldn't help but spill as soon as the engine roared to life.

"Mm- Grace?" She had been about the say 'Mom' on impulse, she realized, but had stopped herself before the word could form. A feeling she couldn't place stirred in her heart, but she shoved it away along with the memory as she waited.

"Yes Lily?"

"I was wondering why the soul back there didn't ah, do or… say anything. There can't be others like me… can there?" Grace thought for a moment. She'd seen in one of the TV specials on the Discovery Health (yes they still had it – they just didn't show the more violent shows anymore) channel that there were some mothers who, after their children were born, didn't want a soul implanted and kept them as they were.

"Well, some souls who go into motherhood, after they have their children, they don't want souls to be implanted." Lily tilted her head. "Why?" Grace furrowed her eyebrows, searching for any memories of when her host, no, when _she _had had Lily, but they were vague at best. She'd have to go from what the special had given as an explanation.

"Motherhood is a very… intense experience for a soul. It changes us – not like you think – and makes us protective. If a human child is raised to be like us, then perhaps it will behave like us. That's usually what they think. She probably assumed that you were mine and I kept you human."

"Which is true… to a certain extent." Grace laughed, turning right onto another road. "Yes, to a certain extent."

.oOo.

That event with the soul in the store didn't trouble Lily much, but it still haunted her thoughts when she was alone.

Three weeks after, she lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling.

She wasn't completely and utterly bored; she just wanted to think.

_I wonder if there would be other human kids at the school I'll go to. If there aren't, will I make __any__ friends at all? I really want a friend. I feel so lonely. Maybe this is how souls feel if they don't have someone to talk to. _

She sat up and looked around her room, at her TV, closet, chests full of paper, pens, pencils, and various toys and such, and then her dresser. She walked over to it and reached up, barely able to see over the top, and grabbed the picture frame that rested on it. In the frame was a family photo they'd recently taken with Thomas in the back, Grace slightly to the left and in front of him, with her in the middle, all smiling, happy.

It had been two days after the trip to the store, and they'd all decided over a game of Scrabble the night prior to get a picture taken. It came a week after.

_It almost looks like the old one,_ she thought, remembering a picture she'd taken with her mother and father a long time before the souls were first noticed.

_And we do look really happy. Maybe, someday, we could be something of a real family. Maybe. Someday._

She repeated the words in her head like she wanted them to be true,

And part of her did. She was technically an orphan, even though the souls that looked like her parents were in the kitchen (or in Thomas's case, watching Animal Planet while Grace did the cooking) making dinner, so Thomas and Grace were, in a strange way, her adopted parents.

All this seemed so jumbled in her nine-year-old brain that she just wanted to grab her hair and pull.

But, remembering the sensation from when she was in preschool and the boy who sat behind her yanked on it all the time, she decided not to do that and just write it out, or ask questions.

"Lily! Dinner!"

She set the picture back up on the dresser. Perhaps some more of her questions could be answered tonight.

She scrambled down the stairs when the smell of pasta hit her like a wave. She weaved through the kitchen and to the dinner table, taking her place by Thomas, who was reading the newspaper he hadn't been able to find time to read from all day, the TV still rumbling Animal Planet from the other room.

"Are you coming back to the living room, love?" Grace asked, putting down their plates and setting down the Parmesan cheese once she got situated.

"Once I'm done," he muttered from over the newspaper. Lily giggled. Her father used to do the same thing before, only he did it with fantasy novels instead of the newspaper. He could never put a fantasy novel down once he was hooked, her father. Apparently the same was still true for Thomas, only with the newspaper.

"You shouldn't read at the table Thomas." Finally he put the newspaper down on the floor, grinning and shaking his head at Lily. "Can't a soul catch up on the news in peace?" Lily laughed. Thomas had that affect on her; she could always count on him to make her laugh, no matter what the situation.

As they ate, the questions she wanted to ask began to surface once more.

"Thomas?" she asked after biting into a meatball, "Why do we still have jobs if we don't have money anymore?"

Thomas looked up, slurping a noodle.

"Ah, the questions again. Still full of them?" Another grin. "Well, we souls need something to do with our time. Of course we're social creatures, but there's only so many hours we can stand to just talk, you know?"

Lily nodded. "I see. But do the aptitude tests show you which job you can have? Or do you choose on your own?"

Thomas waited a moment to think. "That's a little harder. It's… a little of both, I think. You _can_ choose your own job, but the aptitude tests are there to show you which fields you be _best_ at, not the ones you _want_. Does that make any sense?"

She thought for a moment.

"It makes more sense than it did before. So when are you going to get jobs? Do you want them?"

Thomas looked at Grace, who nodded to him. Grace and Thomas alternated between one another who answered Lily's questions for that night (for she always had some. At least it was conversation) and it was evidently his.

He turned back to Lily.

"Once your aptitude test results come back and we choose a school you'd like to go to, we were thinking that would be the best time to do so. I'm thinking of working with animals." Lily chuckled.

"No surprise there, Tom. You already watch Animal Planet during most of your free time, or when you're not reading the newspaper."

She nudged said article with her foot against the wooden floor.

They all laughed at that one.

.oOo.

It was late June and Lily was coming back from her run. She'd asked Grace and Thomas (who she'd lately taken to calling him Tom) and they hadn't minded, and she did love to run. She stopped by the mail to pick it up as she usually did when she saw a bright orange envelope that immediately made her think of school.

Could it be…?

She ran into the house showing it immediately to Grace and Thomas.

"These are the results all right. It looks like your selected fields are mostly in the creative arts category. And look, they've given us choices of such schools that are nearby. You wouldn't mind going to a school like that, right?" Thomas asked her. "Oh, no!" she cried, beaming, "I've always wanted to go to one!"

And so it was settled.

Later that night, Thomas found Lily up in the attic, staring out the window.

"What's wrong?" he asked her gently, seeing her slumped posture and expression. "I should feel happy that I'm going to the school of my dreams… but I don't. Well, I do, but my mom used to play piano and…" Lily stopped, choking back a gentle sob. Thomas sat next to her on the window seat and took her into his arms.

"It'll be all right. Just let it go." Thomas didn't let her see, but a tear or two rolled down her own face and into her hair, hating to see her in pain but knowing she was grieving, moving on. Learning.

* * *

I hope that was better than my other chapters. As of this moment I'm beta-less, so if you see any mistakes or have a problem with something, just let me know. Sorry it took me so long… I'll try to make faster updates. :D


	4. Journey

Chapter Four: Journey

* * *

Title: Lily Among the Thorns

Chapter: 4

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: OC x OC

Disclaimer: I do not own The Host. The great Miss Stephenie Meyer owns that. I could never be so great.

Description: She goes about a normal day on Earth, shopping, chatting with friends, working, and the like. But she's not normal. Why? She's human. She may be the only one who gets to do this. Ever. And that's why a certain soul is infatuated with her completely.

Author's Note:

I've always wanted to see into the souls' world. You see only so much of it at the beginning, and a little towards the end and middle-back. So… there's education (sure, Wanda was a teacher, but I assumed it was a sort of college type thing), they covered the stores in the book, umm, TV (I played around with that a bit), what next? Jobs other than store clerks and Seekers and Healers? Hmm. That may come later. Give me any suggestions you might want to see. Well, on with it.

Srry for the long update. I rediscovered my N64 and my Majora's Mask game, and I just beat it yesterday, so… hehe.

* * *

"A schedule?"

Lily was standing in front of the school, reading the piece of paper that had come in the mail just last week, right before the fall semester.

"So it's different than what I remember… do we get an orientation?" Thomas laughed. "You mean a tour of the school? This is what today is: little more than that, plus a few extras."

Lily huffed, and flashed a wry smile in his direction.

"So even though this is the first day, there are no real lessons going on?" Thomas shook his head. "Even if there were I'd imagine there wouldn't be more than syllabuses and rule reading, like we need those." Thomas flinched, realizing he might've hit of soft spot. The souls had a perfect society, no fighting, and so no need for rules. Well, no real need for them. But there were always accidents, moments that souls couldn't control. One human emotion was anger, and they couldn't help that. And some rules were still necessary, like traffic rules. Otherwise there'd be total chaos.

"Yeah," Lily laughed, not seeing the implications of his words, "but things happen, I suppose. And I think even the most organized of societies needs some rules, you know?" She turned and grinned at him. By now he'd regained his composure and grinned back.

_She's still a child. Some things she doesn't know the meaning of yet. _

But wasn't he still a child in many ways?

_I've lived many lives,_ he counteracted, _and my experiences have led me to live hundreds, perhaps thousands of Earth years. But I suppose, even with my adult human knowledge of more sophisticated things such as… foreplay, I am a child to this planet. But, I'm also stubborn. _

Thomas laughed to himself as he looked up at the tall mountain lodge looking building.

"Ready to go in?" Lily shrugged casually, even though she was still nervous on the inside. "I guess."

.oOo.

They walked in together, not holding hands, but still side by side. She was wearing a white t-shirt over her knee length jeans with her hair tied back into a ponytail. She held the letter to her chest – rather, she clutched it – telling herself everything would be fine. It was just a new school.

"Welcome to the Young Starters Art Institute!" said a cheerful and gentle voice. It was one of those voices that sounded soothing no matter what the tone. Lily looked for the speaker immediately. "Hi," she said shyly, meeting the woman's eyes for a moment. She immediately clung to Thomas, peeking out from behind his left side.

"Come now, come now," Thomas chided, "You promised me you'd be brave! Now go on!" He looked up, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry, she's a little nervous. She's still human, so she's afraid she won't have any friends here."

The woman, a rosy-cheeked, dark-haired brunette (which was tied up in a high ponytail with curls cascading from it), in a clean gray suit held up a hand.

"That's quite all right. We're aware of your child's status. We actually have some other human children here, so it's quite all right. They were born from souls, and the parents decided to keep them that way." She knelt by Lily, who was still hiding but not as much as before. "Will you come out now, little one? There's really no need to be afraid."

Lily thought it over. After a moment's hesitation, she took the woman's offered hand, and came out from behind Thomas.

"Okay… so where now?"

The woman smiled, her soul's light shining in her hazel eyes. "We'll be going over the schedule in the courtyard and then taking a tour of the school. How does that sound?" Lily's eyes lit up. She'd seen the place from the outside, and just _that_ had taken her breath away. "Oh that's sounds wonderful, Miss…?"

"Rose. Julia Rose. You can call me Julia if you like." Lily shook her head in her childish manner, already comfortable. "Nah, I'll just call you Miss Rose. Can I do that?"

Miss Rose waved her finger and 'tsked' a few times.

"Now, now. Can implies ability, darling. So what do you say instead…?"

Lily shook her head again and laughed. "Okay, okay! _May_ I call you that?"

Miss Rose smiled and stood up. "Why yes. Now come along, Lily." She nodded to the other soul. "Thomas." Thomas returned the nod. It was only after they'd gotten halfway down the main hallway that Lily said:

"Wait, you have a courtyard?"

.oOo.

It was a very beautiful courtyard.

Flowers were strewn in long banners across the spaces between the stone poles that lined the courtyard hallway, daffodils, Lily thought. And there was a statue in the middle of the garden (which, Miss Rose explained _changed_ _shape_ depending on what it was needed for) that was currently in the shape of a podium. This was in the middle of a stone circle with steps leading up to it and a small 'c'-shaped garden formed around it.

The garden was pretty too. In fact, there were several small gardens, two on each side of the eight stone benches that were around the four sides of the courtyard. And each small garden had a different type of flower, except for the one around the statue, which had flowers from each garden in the courtyard.

"It's our little patch of heaven," said Miss Rose, "or, well, you know what I mean." Lily shrugged. "It's all right. I've sort of come… sort of, um accepted it's not my world anymore. But 'patch of heaven' does fit this place to a 't'."

Lily grinned. Miss Rose laughed. "What a smart child you have, Mr. Thomas." Thomas grinned. "Yes, she is very smart." Lily blushed vividly and hid once more in the left side of his coat. "Stop that, now!" he chided again, "I think I see some seats over to the right. We'd better hurry or we'll miss them!"

There were seats everywhere, but only on the southeast and west sides (from where you would enter through the main hallway) of the courtyard, lined in neat square (rectangle, really) box formations.

And just as soon as they were seated, a tall, young-looking man with curly/wavy black hair in a black suit, white shirt, and red tie walked up to the podium.

"My friends," he began, "today is the start of a new year. New students. And new revisions in the staff. Trust me, there are some souls that even though they'd like to teach, this particular school is not the place for them."

There were a few scattered laughs. Thomas assumed it was an inside joke.

"Well, as you know, those of you that have been with us for a good three or four years or so, we've been slowly redefining our curriculum for some time now and we're pleased to say that we've finally finished!"

There was a round of applause for a few moments before he held up his hand to silence the crowd.

"And it's actually quite nice. I'd like to thank all of you that have been with us through those, ah unorthodox times where some things had to be done ad lib, but you hung tough. Good job, mates. Our curriculum starts with, for the starting first years, up until the end of second, for our Social Sciences; basic Education – yes, I know, but it's complicated system – as well as basic Geography and History, both human and that of the souls. It's a beginning course; mind you, just a planet or two. The complicated stuff is for the upper years, like sixth and seventh.

"And, um what's next?" He stopped for a moment and then remembered, his face lighting up. "Ah, yes. Um, when you get to third year, your choices branch out. You can either drop Geography for Law, Linguistics, or Political Science, or just keep geography. But, we're still working out of few bugs with that. We'll probably have just a mini test to see what you should take, but then again we might just look at the scores that got you here, eh?"

There were a few more scattered laughs, but more than before.

"Very, very sorry if this is taking too long. I was going to write this all on cards but for some reason I decided I could remember it all…" he laughed, shakily, but with vigor. "Let's just say next fall I'm sticking to the cards."

Lily laughed with the crowd on this one. This soul, she could tell it was a soul by the glint in his eyes, was oddly comical. Not that she minded. She just wasn't accustomed to souls joking around like this one did. But she liked this one. "Who is he?" she asked Thomas as the man continued to chatter about Social Science classes for the upper years.

"He's the principal of the school, I believe. Can't remember his name for the life of me. I think it's David."

"All right," David said, giving a short, barking laugh, "let's get down to business. English will be a norm for all the classes, yes I know, that must be a letdown that it's still there, huh? Well, everything I've just said, the Art History included, takes up about 35 to 40% of the curriculum. The other 65 to 60% is entirely focused on the actual art and design."

The applause was deafening.

"Now! To the tour!"

.oOo.

"It's so amazing, all of it! I can't wait for tomorrow!"

Lily was absolutely chattering on and on about how she loved the art rooms, and the easels and paints – so many colors! – and some of the other children her age were unable to stop talking to her.

"I never even knew that bubblegum was a color!" said one girl with short, pixie-like black hair. "Yeah," Lily agreed, "Isn't that weird? But I bet it doesn't taste like it at all!" The two giggled. "So what's your name? I'm Faye."

"Lily," she said, nodding, "Nice to meet you!" "And I'm Sparkling Bubbles!" piped a slightly older girl with blond curls. "Hey, aren't you one of the human students?" The look she gave was questioning only, Lily could tell, but she felt the familiar fear return. Lily twisted her hands together, and played with her hair.

"Yeah," she said shyly, forcing the truth past her lips.

Sparkling Bubbles noticed her posture and put and hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, we don't mind. Don't we Faye?" Faye nodded fervently. "Yeah, it's all good! You're nice. But you're too shy! Come on, or we'll miss the next bit of the tour!"

Lily smiled back and followed them at a run, swerving through the mass of older children and parents.

"Lily!" Thomas called, "Where'd you go?" Lily stopped in her tracks, gauging that the sound was from farther back. "I gotta go, guys. My dad wants me." The words seemed so natural as they slipped past, she hadn't even noticed them. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye!" called both of the girls.

Lily ran into Thomas a little while later.

"Where'd you go?" he asked her, "I was looking for you." Lily took his hand to show she was all right. "I was with some of the other girls. Sorry if I scared you." Thomas laughed. "It's all good. Just don't do it again. Did you meet any good friends?"

Lily shrugged. "I think so."

"You think so?" Thomas laughed, "Well did you or didn't you?"

"I did, all right!" she laughed as he tickled her. "One of 'em was named Faye and the other called herself Sparkling Bubbles. I'll have to ask her if I can just call her Sparks, though. Or Bubbles. Sparkling Bubbles is a little long."

Thomas chuckled. "She might be from one of the newer planets. The, ah Light World, perhaps." He shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "But I'm no expert."

And their conversations went on like this for a while. The hallways were indeed beautiful, with plush, dark maroon carpets, and the walls were lined with various pieces of art, some drawn from the students who attended.

"It's so odd… they didn't think twice of the fact that I was human."

Thomas thought for a moment. "This school does accept a few human students, usually only those about your age or younger. The older ones… well, um…" He made a face. So did Lily. "Yeah, I get it. They're given souls, right?" He nodded slowly. "And the human children that do get accepted usually are born through a union between souls." He smiled gently. "You're a special case, though."

"Hmm," was all she said after awhile. She thought for a moment, and then heard some of the younger kids exclaiming something about the pottery room. "Oh! May I go ahead, Dad?"

Thomas, whom had been brooding for just a moment, was jolted out back to reality. Had she really said what he thought she did?

"Umm, sure," he whispered, searching her face. All that he could see was pure happiness, and a bit of impatience. "Thanks!" she exclaimed, and scampered off.

_Is it this place that's changed her? She seems so much happier with the other kids. More social. Almost like a soul. _

"Humans need attention, too," said a voice. Thomas turned. There was David, the principal. "You… can't read minds, can you?" Thomas asked him. "And shouldn't you be… back there?" He turned back again to look at the crowd.

"I had my assistant take over. And no," he said, laughing softly, "I'm not a mind reader. You just seemed troubled. I thought you'd like a talk. It's not good for souls to brood, you know." Thomas nodded. "I'm lucky I was intact, but my host suffered a bit of trauma before insertion. That first memory still needs time to heal." Thomas bit his lip briefly. "That and I'm more worried about my little girl than I am myself. Is that normal?"

David looked up past Thomas.

"Come, let's walk." They were side by side, behind the group. Thomas could just see Lily, chattering with a pixie-haired girl.

"I know what you're going through, you know. To a certain extent. My wife and I decided to keep our child human, and I was actually against it in the beginning. I know that you're worried for her, because I was; would they reject him because he was still human inside even though he'd never been around others without souls his whole life?" David shook his head.

"But your girl, you still feel tied to her because, by blood, she _is_ your girl, she was born to human parents and I suppose it's normal to worry about her more than yourself. Once you see things will work out I'm sure you'll be fine. She's special, Lily. Headstrong, I'd say.

"She'll find her way, you know. She'll be fine. All she needs is a hand to hold in the beginning and a little help the rest of the journey."

Thomas stroked his chin. "I suppose you're right.

"Actually," he said, "I was really more worried about her mental status. She's had to change so much this past half-year. I see more than I should, and there are moments when she enjoys being with Grace and I, but then there are the total opposites where she barely says anything. Granted, she hasn't really gotten out much except to run, and she's chatting away now…"

He sighed softly. "I don't know what to think. And especially now, when she's just called me 'Dad' without hesitating. She almost called Grace 'Mom' a while back, but she hasn't said anything other than that. Except shortening my name. She's called me Tom a few times. Never Father. Or Dad."

He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment. "It's just odd. From my perspective she seems so unstable. I don't know a lot of things and these human emotions are still so much different from the Dolphins."

David nodded. "You're overwhelmed. Talk to your comforter. Everything you're going through will all fade with time, but it's your first year. I'm a little perplexed about how you don't crack under it all." He winced. "Sorry if I touched a tender topic." He shook his head and smoothed his suit. "Well, I hope I've settled a few of your fears."

Thomas nodded. "A few. A talk with my comforter would be nice, though. I'll make sure to do that."

David nodded as Lily came back to them. It was only now Thomas realized they were back in the main lobby. "You're a very brave soul, Thunder Flyer. Just know I'm here if you ever want to talk." And with that he disappeared back into the school.

"Was that David?" she asked as she walked up to him, "What did he say?"

"Adult things," Thomas replied. "Nunya business." They both grinned. "Okay. I can't wait for tomorrow. I also need a few things."

"Like what?" She looked up, as if she could look into her head and see the answer. "Umm, two paint sets, one regular one watercolor, pencils, paper… and books will be provided… that's about it… oh! And a backpack. But I want a messenger bag. They look cool."

Thomas smiled while shaking his head. "No uniforms?" Lily scowled playfully. "They would've told us about that! No, just nice, clean shirts and slacks. That's all."

Thomas ruffled her hair. Perhaps things would work out.

.oOo.

It was later that night when her light was out but she was still wide awake, her things ready by her bedside and her clothes on her chair. Thomas – whom she'd called Dad more than once today – and Grace were probably asleep already.

Lily thought back to Faye, the pixie-haired girl that never ceased to amuse her with her chattering, and Sparkling Bubbles (whom she'd caught up with and had agreed with that she could call her Sparks) with her older charm and aura of comfort. Already she had friends.

Lily smiled into the moonlight that flooded her room as she brought the covers closer.

But soon the excitement wore away to exhaustion, and Lily was soon fast asleep. Each day that passed she grew more comfortable, even though the ways of the souls' world was still so new and confusing. But now she had friends to help her along her journey, and that night she dreamed of her in Thomas's arms, surrounded by light and his fatherly embrace, and of course, bubbles.

* * *

I created a new world! It's mine! Not the concept, but the world. I should draw the creatures that live on it for you. They're like sprites, but with four arms, and no, ah parts. (shrugs) Don't ask me how they reproduce. I think it's by the light itself. When two sprites have strong feelings for one another (they have some sort of ceremony first – with flowers and things but not Earth flowers) they use the light of their two suns and they dance a new sprite into being. If I ever figure out how to draw light with Photoshop I'll show you.

So yeah, dibs on the Light World. XD

Yami Vikki: You're very charismatic hikari. (smirks)

Vikki: Hush, you! (punches shoulder playfully)

Yami Vikki: Can we get to the hot stuff now?

Vikki: Eh?

Yami Vikki: Oh, we have _so _much work to do….

Vikki: Oh, _that_… that's not for a while mou hitori no boku.

Yami Vikki: (pouts)

Vikki: But don't you worry, I've got it _all _planned out. Sort of.

Yami Vikki: Smooth, hikari.

Vikki: Hehe… well, I'm almost done with the drawing of the front of the school. I'm thinking about drawing a map or the inside, too, just cause I can. I just have to get off my lazy butt and scan it… ^w^ And as for David... the picture I had of him was Charmont from Ella Enchanted if you've ever seen that. If you want to see more of him just say the word, okies? ^_~


End file.
